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Anthony "Slim" De Bella

Slim was born in Elizabeth and graduated from Battin High School where he played baseball.

He joined the Civil Service Core (CCC) after high school and worked on several major construction projects in the south. After returning home to Elizabeth, slim played fast pitch softball for the talented Phelps Dodge team of 1949. After winning the Industrial League Championship and the state tournament, he qualified for the Softball World Championship, which was held in Detroit that year. Phelps lost the finals 1-0 to the World Champion Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons. Slim had the only hit for the team, a booming triple in the 6th inning.

He later coached several fast pitch softball teams in the highly competitive industrial leagues.

Slim was also a police officer for the Elizabeth Police Department for over 5 years. During that time he was very active with the P.A.L. youth programs. He coached several P.A.L. baseball teams and started up the P.A.L. youth basketball program at Kirk Community Center in the early 1950s.

Slim helped organize and served as the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Major Fast Pitch Softball League. Due to his many contributions to the game of softball, he is a member of the Softball Hall of Fame. On several occasion Milton Farb, highly regarded journal sports writer, referred to Slim as "Mr. Softball".

Slim retired from the Elizabeth Recreational Department in 1979, where he was the supervisor of youth activities.